Amazon Prime Video now has ads. Yes, you read that right. The popular on-demand streaming service has become the latest player to offer ads in the middle of streaming movies and TV shows. The decision to introduce ads was first announced in September 2023. The company has introduced an expensive ad-free tier for those who do not want ads to ruin their viewing experience.
Amazon Prime Video Ad-Free Plan Costs More
Amazon Prime Video is currently showing ads to users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. It is not the first streaming service to show ads, but there is a slight difference in its approach. While most streaming services choose to announce a new cheaper ad-supported tier, it has done the exact opposite and introduced a new expensive ad-free tier.
It means all Prime Video viewers from the aforementioned regions will start seeing ads after January 29. The change is visible on the existing Amazon Prime plan that costs USD 14.99 per month or USD 139 per year in the US. Prime Video is also available as a stand-alone streaming service for USD 8.99 per month.
If someone wants to remove ads, they will have to subscribe to Prime Video’s ad-free tier by paying USD 3 per month on top of the current plan. Amazon has added a “Go Ad Free” tab to the Prime Video application and website. It will allow users to pay more and get rid of the ads.
The details about the ad duration and frequency in the middle of movies and TV shows are currently unknown. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly an annoying experience for users who are already struggling with increasing subscription prices across different services. The only good thing for Prime Video users is that Amazon currently has no plans for a subscription price hike in 2024.
Netflix seems to be preparing to follow a similar path. It has announced its plan to discontinue the cheaper ad-free plan in regions where it was launched. It will begin the move in Canada and the UK starting Q2 2024. It could eventually ask users to pay more to continue watching Netflix ad-free.
Amazon Prime Video Ads Coming to India?
Amazon Prime Video continues to be ad-free in India for the time being. However, this could change in the coming months. Amazon has confirmed it will expand its ad-free tier to more regions by the end of the year but did not specify the names of the markets.
India could easily be one of the markets where Prime Video ads land by 2024-end or early 2025. There are already streaming services like Disney Hotstar+ and SonyLIV that offer ads alongside content.
